


Fall For You

by soft_satan



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:14:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23762131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soft_satan/pseuds/soft_satan
Summary: Eddie felt the strain in his other hand ease immediately and the throbbing pain in his shoulders and arms ease some, but watching Buck fall into the shadows below sent a whole new pain stabbing straight through his chest.“BUCK!”~~~When a cliffside rescue goes wrong, Eddie fears the worst.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan “Buck” Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 51
Kudos: 835





	Fall For You

**Author's Note:**

> BECAUSE TONIGHT WILL BE THE NIGHT THAT I WILL FALL FOR YOU
> 
> OVER AGAAAAAIN
> 
> DON'T MAKE ME CHANGE MY MIND
> 
> OR I WON'T LIIIIVE TO SEE ANOTHER DAY
> 
> I SWEAR IT'S TRUE
> 
> BECAUSE A GIRL LIKE YOU IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FIIIIIND
> 
> YOU'RE IMPOSSIBLE TO FIIIIIND
> 
> Anybody remember that absolute BANGER? :D god I miss MySpace...

The roar of the ocean waves crashing against the cliffside was almost soothing to Eddie as he walked up the rocks, the wench pulling him and Buck up slowly. The hiker they had rescued had landed on one of the rocks that jutted out of the side of the cliff, and they had reached him fairly quickly. He was secured in a basket and sent up for treatment in no time, and now the pair were making their way back up to solid ground. The emergency lights that had been erected drowned out the moonlight from above, but Eddie could still see the blue glow it cast over Buck's features. He tried not to dwell on how it made his heart flutter.

“You wanna come over to Abuela’s for lunch tomorrow?” Eddie called out to Buck, who was a few feet above him on their ascent. “She was going to make a few batches of tamales with Chris tomorrow afternoon and they both insisted I invite you. She said she'd teach you how to make them.”

“Yeah, I’d love that,” Buck agreed, his blinding smile brighter than his head lamp.

The loud metal crack that echoed out into the night was the only warning they had before Eddie felt the rope he was depending on give way. By some miracle, Eddie’s body moved without conscious thought, the self-preservation instinct latching onto a rock that jutted out from the cliffside and the instinct of the protector he was reaching out as Buck passed him. A guttural cry of agony erupted from his throat as he felt his arm and chest muscles pull as Buck’s descent snapped to a halt, his near 200 lbs of muscle yanking Eddie’s shoulders out of joint for a split second. He was going to be in excruciating pain for the next couple of weeks, but as long as he kept a firm grip on Buck’s wrist and the rock that was keeping them both from falling into the dark depths below, it would be worth it.

“Eddie! Buck!” Chim cried from above them, but Eddie couldn’t spare the muscle strength to look up at him. “Just hang on! We’re coming to get you!”

“Hurry!” Eddie called back desperately, his grip on Buck's wrist so tight his fingers were already aching.

“Eddie…” Buck gasped, swaying in the ocean breeze and making it that much harder to hold onto the rock that was essentially keeping them both alive.

“I’ve got you, Buck,” Eddie assured, meeting Buck’s wide eyes. “Do you see any rocks you can grab onto?”

Buck looked around at the cliffside in front of him, but when he looked back up at Eddie, he had a distinct look of sadness on his face as he shook his head slightly. “Let me go, Eddie.”

Eddie kept his grip firm, practically growling out his immediate response, even as his fingers clutching the rock were starting to burn. “Not a chance!”

“You can’t hold us both, Eddie. I’m dead weight here,” Buck reasoned, tears shining in the beam of Eddie’s headlamp. “Let me go. Christopher needs y--”

“Chris needs both of us!” Eddie cried through clenched teeth. “Do not let go of me, Evan Buckley, or I swear to God I will never forgive you!”

“Tell Chris I love him, okay?” Buck said, voice shaking and full of emotion. Eddie could feel Buck’s grip loosening around his wrist, his own hold beginning to slip. “I love you, Eddie.”

“No-- Buck, NO!”

Eddie felt the strain in his other hand ease immediately and the throbbing pain in his shoulders and arms ease some, but watching Buck fall into the shadows below sent a whole new pain stabbing straight through his chest.

“BUCK!”

…

His body seized painfully at the sudden cold, but he kept his mouth shut. As hopeless as he felt tumbling through the water, thrown against the sharp rocks by the raging tide, he didn’t want to die, and he wasn’t about to give up. It was a miracle he hadn’t died already, that he had somehow missed the sharp rocks as he hit the water, he wasn’t going to squander away the chance he’d been giving by letting himself drown immediately. No, he wasn’t going down without a fight.

But that fight would be much easier if he could figure out which way was up.

His headlamp was out, smashed against the rocks. He reached blindly around himself, feeling the rock the Pacific had just pushed him into, and he clung to it with what little strength he had left. As the waves calmed momentarily, he let go of the rock with one hand and focused on his arm, feeling which direction it started to float toward. It wasn’t a guarantee, but as his lungs started to burn, it was the only option he had. He pushed off of the rock with as much force as he could muster, heading in the direction he could only hope was up. When his head broke the surface he gasped in as much oxygen as he could, already feeling the water beginning to recede before the next big wave. He took a few more gulps before taking a big breath just in time for the salty monster to slap him down again, sending him toward the bottom of the cliffside.

…

As soon as he and Chim were being pulled up over the side of the cliff Eddie’s eyes were seeking out Bobby, finding the Captain speaking to a group of firefighters that hadn’t been on the scene when he and Buck had first gone down. As soon as he and Chim were on their feet, Eddie was hurrying over toward the Captain, pushing right past Hen as she tried to get him to let her take a look at him. As he reached Bobby the others were moving to follow his orders, and Bobby turned just in time to come face to face with Eddie.

“You need to get checked out,” Bobby ordered immediately, pointing toward where Hen was waiting with her hands on her hips.

“I’m fine,” Eddie bit out, even as his arms were throbbing in rhythm to his heartbeat from his shoulders to his fingertips. “I can help.”

“You can help by letting Hen make sure you’re okay.”

“I can tell you right now that I’m not, and I won’t be until we find Buck.”

“And we will, but the last thing I need is for someone who is clearly injured to get in my way,” Bobby snapped, clearly losing his patience but keeping his tone controlled. “Now go let Hen check you over or I’ll let the police escort you to the hospital.”

With tears of anger, fear, and pain threatening to spill over, Eddie silently nodded in acceptance and turned to follow Hen to the ambulance. She laid a careful hand to his shoulder in a show of comfort, but didn’t waste her breath on words that wouldn’t help, and for that Eddie was grateful. Once they were at the ambulance she helped him carefully remove his gear and shirt, leaving him in his tank top as he sat down on the edge of the rig. His arms were still tingling and throbbing, sharp pain shooting up his limbs every time he moved too suddenly. Hen’s hands were gentle as she started her examination, feeling the muscles and tendons under his skin with precision. Eddie just stared off into the darkness where the ocean lay, letting her do what she needed to do without protest. He could see the Coast Guard vessel coming in, as well as a few LAFD search and rescue rafts, all of them headed toward the spot where Buck had disappeared into the shadows.

“He let go,” Eddie whispered, voice getting snagged on emotion on its way out.

Hen paused in her exam to look at him with a look of horror, still holding his wrist. “What?”

“I could’ve held us both,” Eddie argued with the man who wasn’t even there, his tears finally rolling freely down his face. “I tried to hold on, but when he let go he just… slipped through my fingers.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Eddie.”

Eddie met her gaze, her face distorted through his tears. “Then why does it feel like I let him die?”

With a touch so delicate it made his chest ache, Hen wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him as the first sob sent a shockwave of pain through his upper body. Pain he felt he deserved.

…

By the time he crashed into the cliffside, Buck was completely disoriented and barely able to keep his screaming lungs from trying to take in a lethal breath. Letting the rocky wall steady him, he once again pushed himself in the direction he hoped was up. He moved along the rocks until his head broke the surface and he found himself in a complete and total void of darkness. He choked and sputtered on ocean water, greedily sucking in as much oxygen as he could before another wave could push him under again. His numb fingers fumbled with the button on the front pocket of his harness, pulling out the glow stick kept within. As soon as the green glow illuminated his surroundings, he realized why he hadn’t yet been pushed under again by the waves.

He’d ended up in a cave.

It was a struggle, especially with the throbbing in his shoulder and the breathtaking pain in his chest, but somehow he managed to get himself out of the water and onto the cold stony floor. He crawled as far away from the water as he could get, settling against the rocky wall and pulling his legs in as close to his chest as the sharp ache in his ribs would allow. Pressing his hand to his side he was startled to feel skin, and looked down to find his uniform shirt had been shredded on the rocks. His skin was scratched and bloody, and he could see the shadow of bruises already forming even in the green light. Other than his side, the throbbing in his right shoulder, and the ache in his back, his only real pain was his lower left leg. It was nothing compared to the agony he had experienced in the limb before, but the cold of the water and the chilly air in the cave made his bones ache, and the shivers and spasms he was experiencing left the muscles tight and twitching. But he didn't spare a moment to complain, because he knew that it could have been much, much worse. With as choppy and powerful as the water had been, it was a miracle he hadn’t been bludgeoned to death on the rocks or drowned. How he had even ended up in the cave was a mystery to him.

His fingers were weak and numb as he gripped the radio still strapped to his chest. It took way more strength to push the button down than it should have. “Buckley to 118, come in.”

He was met with silence.

“This is Evan Buckley for the 118, do you copy?” he begged, tears burning his eyes when he heard nothing, not even static. The radio was dead.

Unsure of whether he was trembling from the trauma or the cold, he knew he didn’t have that long until hypothermia set in. He wasn’t sure how far down the exit was, or if he would be able to fight the current to get out until the tide went down some, but neither of those options seemed like they would end very well. He was already feeling weak and woozy, like he'd had one too many shots, and Buck knew that that wasn’t a good sign. Still, he needed to do something. Sitting there in the cold, dank cave would lead to his death just as surely as diving back into the darkness would.

Standing up was a challenge. His legs were numb and shaky, the left screaming at him to sit back down, but he ignored it. Holding his glow stick up to light the way, he used the wall for support as he moved. He traced the wall for a few feet, limping along and moving farther away from the watery opening from which he came. When he found what looked to be a tunnel in the very back of the cave, his heart leapt. There was no telling where the tunnel led, but faced with only that or his other two options, he knew he had to follow it. The tunnel seemed to get colder and colder the deeper he got, but he kept moving, however slowly he had to with his leg protesting the entire way.

As he followed the tunnel, his little light source illuminating only a few feet ahead of him, the only thing on his muddled mind was Eddie. Had he been able to hold on long enough to be saved? Or had he been lost to the depths of the ocean like Buck almost had been? He didn’t want to even think about the possibility, but the fear was heavy in his chest and the tears were warm as they ran down his cold face.

…

Eddie despised being put on the sidelines. After being cleared of any life-threatening injuries, he had been ordered to wait at the rigs while the team and all of the units that had come to assist them searched for Buck. But as much as Eddie respected authority, he had said a silent “screw that,” taken a flashlight from the rig, and made his way down to the shoreline with the rest of the search and rescue team. His upper body still felt like it was on fire despite the anti-inflammatories Hen had given him, but as long as he was able to walk and hold a flashlight, he was going to look for his best friend.

If only he had held on a little tighter, begged Buck a little more, told him he loved him too, maybe he wouldn’t have been so quick to let go. But deep down, he knew that his intrusive thoughts weren’t true. He had held on with everything he had and Buck’s hand had still slipped out of his grasp. And he knew that it wouldn’t have mattered how much Eddie begged or if he had confessed his feelings to the man, Buck still would have let go to try and save him. Because Buck loved him.

The sky had been flickering purple and blue since they’d first arrived at the scene, but now the rumble of thunder was vibrating through the ground as he trekked through the side of the hill. Eddie’s heart started to sink deeper into his stomach when he realized exactly what that meant. It had been a little more than an hour since the search had begun, but the storm was moving in and Eddie knew that they were going to give up soon. As the search and rescue helicopter made another pass overhead, shining a light across the hillside and the water, he heard Bobby’s voice over the radios calling them all to pack it in.

Eddie saw red.

He spotted Bobby moving back up the hillside toward the road and raced to catch up with him. “Bobby, what the hell?! We haven’t found him yet!”

Bobby spun to face him, and Eddie could see the Captain’s annoyance even without shining his flashlight near his face. “Eddie, what the hell are you doing down here?”

“Looking for my best friend, unlike you,” Eddie spat back. “We have to keep looking. He could be hurt, definitely hypothermic--”

“Eddie,” Bobby snapped, shutting Eddie up mid-sentence. “I’m aware of that, okay? You don’t think I care about finding Buck? I do, a lot more than I professionally should. But that storm is moving in fast, the tide is only getting higher, and I can’t allow my people to put their lives at risk when the likelihood of his survival is so low.”

“Bobby, this is Buck we’re talking about. If anyone could survive that fall--”

In the split second of lightning that illuminated Bobby’s face, Eddie could see the glimmer of unshed tears in the older man’s eyes. “I don’t want to call it, Eddie. I really don’t. But I don’t have a choice.”

Eddie huffed defiantly. “Then I’ll keep looking on my own.”

“You know as well as I do that Buck would not want you to hurt yourself looking for him, Eddie. Don’t make his sacrifice be in vain.”

Eddie paused, clenching his fists as Bobby's words cut deep into his chest. “That’s low.”

“Did it work?”

Eddie growled lowly as he pushed past Bobby on his way up the trail.

…

He was tired, he was in pain, and he was really freaking cold, but Buck kept moving. There were moments when his leg had completely given out on him, sending him to the cold stone floor with a cry of agony as hot flashes of pain shot up his left leg, but thankfully there had been few. He had only allowed himself a couple of minutes to catch his breath before dragging himself back to his feet and pushing himself to keep moving. It didn’t help that the tunnel was at an incline, putting even more strain on his aching leg as he marched on.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been walking, but he knew that if he didn’t find the exit soon, he was going to pass out and most likely die of hypothermia. The fact that it was summer and therefore the water hadn’t been exactly frigid gave him a bit more time than he would have had if it had been January, but still, the cave was ice cold and his wet clothes clung to his shivering body. He couldn’t really feel his fingers anymore, his toes having long since gone numb in his boots. The only thing that kept him moving was his desperate need to know whether or not Eddie was alright. He needed to see for himself that Eddie was alive before he allowed himself to lay down and succumb to the claws of mortality that were grabbing at his ankles and slowing him down.

The cold stone beneath him came up to greet him once again, knocking the wind out of his aching chest as the pain shot higher up his leg than it had the last time he’d tripped. In his descent, he splayed his hands out to catch himself, dropping the glow stick to the cave floor with a muted clack of plastic on stone. Before he had even hit the ground he saw the little green stick roll right past him down the incline, heading back the way he came and leaving him in absolute darkness. His breath caught in his throat as panic gripped his chest, fresh tears rolling down his face. He was absolutely exhausted, all he wanted was to curl up in a ball and give up.

No one would ever know.

It could be his little secret.

There was no way of knowing when his eyes had slipped shut or for how long they were closed, but in an instant he was sitting up, heart pounding in his aching chest. He was exhausted to his core, his entire body aching and shivering from the bone-chilling cold. A desperate sob shook his entire body. He just wanted to go home, curl up in his warm bed, and sleep for a week.

Preferably with Eddie’s arms around him.

Eddie.

Just the thought of him made another sob claw its way out of his throat. More than his warm bed, more than sleep, Buck wanted to see Eddie again. So leaning heavily against the wall, Buck stood on shaking legs, taking a moment to figure out which direction he was going before taking a tentative step forward. He kept his hand on the wall, both to keep himself upright and to guide him along in the darkness.

He didn’t stop again until he heard the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore, and he paused for just a moment as another sob choked him. He was close. He didn’t know where the tunnel would let out, but he didn’t care. He would find his way back home, back to Eddie, no matter where he ended up.

…

The teams were gathered under a tent that had been erected at some point before the rain had started. Bobby and a few other captains who had come to help were going over the next phase of the search plan that would begin when the weather cleared. Eddie had stopped listening when it was announced that their search and rescue had turned into a recovery mission, his stomach churning at the thought of finding Buck washed up on the beach, lips blue and skin cold.

If no one else was going to keep looking, he would. As the rain pelted him he marched over to the rig to get another flashlight and a radio with fresh batteries. He was soaked through by the time he started back down the road, heart heavy even as he clung to his last shred of hope. He didn’t see the figure coming out of the bushes along the road up ahead until he turned his flashlight on to light his way, the beam landing on the dark-clad figure limping toward him. The figure was several yards away, bringing up their hand to shield their face from the harsh light, but Eddie knew.

His heart suddenly in his throat, his name tumbled from his lips like a choked whisper.

…

It was raining heavily as he made his way up the hillside, but he could barely feel it on his cold body. The shivering had stopped some time ago, and as his mind became more and more muddled, he knew he would be in trouble if he didn’t find help soon. His lungs felt like they were going to collapse as he struggled and practically crawled up the hill, the rain adding an extra level of difficulty to the horribly frustrating and exhausting task. He slipped and slid down with every other step, but he kept going. He was too close now to just give up. A ways up the road Buck could see the red and white flashing lights of emergency vehicles, and that was enough to give him the motivation to keep moving. He was so close. He was almost home.

He stumbled out onto the street, his bad leg screaming at him to stop already, but all thoughts left his mind when the beam of a flashlight shone in his eyes. He squinted in the light, trying to block it from his eyes, when he heard the figure call his name.

Buck smiled, a weak but genuine giggle bubbling up and out of him. He knew that voice. He loved that voice. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard aside from Christopher’s laughter.

Eddie was still alive.

He wasn’t sure how Eddie had moved so quickly, or maybe he had just blacked out momentarily from pure joy, but suddenly Eddie was crashing into him and Buck’s legs took that as their queue to finally give up once and for all. Eddie caught him with a grunt of pain, and the two of them collapsed onto the asphalt, clinging to each other with trembling hands. Eddie was soaked too, but he was so warm, and he was alive, and Buck’s mind was a mess of happiness and comfort and relief.

Somehow his helmet had come off, Buck wasn’t entirely sure how but he was happy for it as Eddie’s warm hand carded through his wet hair, cradling Buck's head against his strong shoulder. He truly couldn’t focus on anything but the feeling of Eddie’s chest rumbling against his own, his deep voice whimpering prayers of thanks and words of comfort in his ear. Buck was quite happy to stay in that little moment of pure comfort forever. Who needed clear thought when the man you loved was holding you?

“M’so… ‘appy… y’okay…” Buck whispered before the darkness finally closed in around him, his last conscious memory the feeling of Eddie’s lips pressing against his cheek.

Not a bad way to go.

…

The smell of bleach always made him a little queasy, especially when it was the first thing to assault his senses as he returned to consciousness. If he couldn’t guess where he was from the smell or the beeps and boops of the machines around him, Buck knew exactly where he was the moment he opened his eyes to off-white ceiling tiles and long fluorescent lights that were thankfully turned off. He sighed softly, trying to think of why he was there this time. His leg was a little achy, but he could move his feet. His right shoulder was throbbing, arm held to his chest by a scratchy sling, and his ribs burned with every breath he took. But his favorite feeling was the arm underneath his good one, a warm calloused hand wrapped firmly around his. He didn’t even need to look to know who it was.

And that’s when the memories hit him. Falling from the cliff, Eddie catching him, letting go of Eddie as he begged Buck not to. Tears welled up in Buck’s eyes as he remembered the hopelessness, the fear, and finally the relief when he fell into Eddie’s arms. Most of it was hazy and jumbled in his mind, but he remembered enough to feel concerned about Eddie.

His neck protested lightly as he turned his head, but it was worth it for the way his chest warmed at the sight. Eddie was fast asleep, his head resting along the edge of the bed right beside Buck’s shoulder, his arm tucked under Buck’s and their fingers laced together. The smell of Eddie’s hair was intoxicating even among the steril hospital smell, and Buck found himself inching closer to him despite the pain it caused. His nose barely brushed the soft, short brown hair when Eddie snapped to attention, sitting up with a grimace and a cry of pain at the sudden movement.

Buck squeezed his hand firmly. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

Eddie's eyes shot open wide, his grimace easily morphing into a blinding smile. "You're awake…"

“I am,” Buck cocked his eyebrow. “You okay?”

With a soft chuckle Eddie nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just really sore in the arms and shoulders. But how are you feeling?”

“Okay, I guess. A little achy here and there. Definitely warmer than I was,” he smiled. “How long was I out?”

“About six hours. It's close to nine. Everyone went home a couple hours ago, after they got you stabilized. I thought Chim was going to have to drag Maddie out kicking and screaming, but she relaxed after I told her I was staying.”

Buck snorted a little laugh at the image. “I’m glad you did.”

“You scared the shit out of me, Buck.” Eddie's fingers tightened around his hand, his eyes sad as they bore into Buck’s. “Two hours. That’s how long you were missing. That’s how long I spent thinking my best friend was dead.”

“I’m sorry--”

“No,” Eddie snapped, shaking his head. “No, sorry’s not going to cut it this time.”

Buck’s heart sank, but Eddie’s fingers were still laced between his, giving him a small bit of hope. “Eddie…”

“You let go.”

“If I hadn’t, you would’ve fallen, too.”

“I had you. I wasn’t going to let us fall.”

“I couldn’t take that chance!” Buck cried, chest aching. “Chris needs you, Eddie. The world needs you. I would take a bullet to the brain right now if it kept you safe.”

Eddie was silent for a moment, staring at Buck with tears shining in his brown eyes. He puckered his lips in thought, nodding slowly as he looked down at their entwined hands. “Because you love me, right?”

It was like he’d fallen right back into the cold Pacific. Buck’s heart monitor sped up slightly and his chest ached with every beat. He could lie, could pretend he didn’t remember his last minute confession before freefalling into the water, but something about the way Eddie’s thumb traced over his knuckles made him feel brave. “Yeah.”

“Imagine how it would feel if the roles had been reversed,” Eddie's expressive eyes met Buck’s, taking his breath away. “If I had let go to save you. If you had watched me fall and disappear into the ocean. Can you imagine how that would have felt? Imagine the irrevocable guilt, the agonizing sadness, the crippling fear that you would find my body washed up on the shore in the morning.”

Tears were pouring down Buck’s face unchecked now, a sob building up in his throat but he swallowed it down. He didn’t trust his voice to speak, so he just nodded. He could imagine it all clearly, and he hated it.

“Well that’s exactly how I felt," Eddie whispered softly. "Because I love you, too.”

The sob finally broke free, but Buck's heart had never felt so full as it did in that moment.

“Watching you fall… Thinking you were dead because of me…” Eddie shook his head as the tears that had been welling up in his eyes the entire time finally broke free, tumbling down his tan cheeks and landing on Buck’s arm. “That’s going to haunt my nightmares for a long, long time. I can’t lose you, Buck.”

“I’m really sorry,” Buck all but whimpered, lips curling up in a soft smile. “But I’d do it again in an instant.”

Eddie huffed a wet laugh. “I know you would, because I would do the same damn thing.”

“You better not.” Buck frowned, squeezing Eddie’s hand.

Buck felt warm for an entirely new reason now, watching Eddie’s eyes glisten as he smiled at him. But then something occurred to him, and despite the twist of anxiety it caused in the pit of his stomach, he needed to know.

“Hey, you know… when I said that…” Buck’s gaze dropped to their hands as he ran his thumb over Eddie’s knuckles. “When I said I love you… You know that I meant that I’m in love with you, right?”

Eddie stood up suddenly, and Buck’s heart lurched in fear that he just shattered everything. He squeezed his eyes shut and clung to Eddie’s hand, hoping that maybe he wouldn’t leave, no matter his answer. But then he felt warm fingers ghost over his jaw as Eddie caressed his face with a delicate touch. When Buck opened his eyes, Eddie was smiling at him, his face only inches away.

“Good,” Eddie whispered, breath dancing across Buck’s lips and sending a shiver down his spine. “Because that’s what I meant, too.”

He gasped, releasing the breath in a soft sigh as Eddie’s lips met his. Buck’s eyes had just slipped closed when it was over, eliciting a soft whine of disappointment he had absolutely no control over. Eddie chuckled, stroking his thumb over the corner of Buck’s lips. When he finally pried his eyes open to look up at Eddie’s soft smile, his heart was sent soaring into the stars at the look of love in Eddie's eyes.

“More later, when we aren't in so much pain,” Eddie said softly. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Buck whispered, the words tumbling from his lips easily and without hesitation, and the way Eddie’s eyes lit up made his insides feel like goo.

Buck would never regret letting go of Eddie's hand. To keep Eddie safe and able to go home to Chris at the end of every shift, Buck would do anything. But as they settled into light conversation about the small changes in their plans for that afternoon, their hands still entwined, Buck swore he would never let go of Eddie's hand again.

Unless it was to save him.


End file.
